There is a buzz that K Annamalai’s departure is meant to make way for the launch of his new party. The 41-year-old already runs a non-profit leadership initiative called “We The Leaders”, which may morph into his political project.
The “En Mann, En Makkal (My Land, My People)” yatra, known as the signature statewide tour of K Annamalai, was launched by Amit Shah on July 28, 2023. The 200-day foot march had covered all 234 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and ended with a massive public address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 28, 2024.
Back then, no one could have imagined that the dream run of K Annamalai in the BJP would be poised to end so soon.
The former chief of Tamil Nadu BJP has discussed his intention to resign with the party brass in Delhi today, seeking an “amicable” parting.
There is a buzz that his departure is meant to make way for the launch of his new party. The 41-year-old already runs a non-profit leadership initiative called “We The Leaders”, which may morph into his political project.
Annamalai had seamlessly changed into saffron from khaki.
In 2019, he had quit the police force and joined politics, saying he was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Within weeks, he was appointed the state vice president and a year down the line, the party’s state unit chief.
The 200-day yatra was not so much his launchpad, as the whetstone he sharpened his strategy on. At the end of it, he became a major political figure in the state, known for his fiery rhetoric and aggressive attacks on the ruling DMK.
It also produced dividends in the Lok Sabha election held later that year: From the meagre 3.66 per cent vote in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP voting percentage shot up to 11 per cent in 2024.
But Annamalai’s distance with the party grew over the question of alliance with the Dravidian parties.
The BJP, which never had a toehold in Tamil Nadu, had considered the alliance with the AIADMK its ticket to move forward. Annamalai differed, preferring that the party go it alone. It was his string of remarks against Dravidian idols including J Jayalalithaa that had deeply offended the AIADMK and helped bring down the curtain on the alliance.
